Re: Choosing Coordinate Systems

[Hugh Haskell <hhaskell@MINDSPRING.COM>]

At 12:19 -0500 9/24/01, RAUBER, JOEL wrote:
> I say what you say, and then mention that practice helps to develope a sense
> for it.
>
> Also, what is usually easier are coordinate systems that have as many
> vectors as possible parallel to a coordinate axes; in particular ones that
> have the Acceleration parallel to a coordinate axis are often easiest to
> work with.
But not always. For example, a ball bouncing down an inclined plane
is best solved with coordinates parallel and perpendicular to the
plane, even though this leaves a component of acceleration in both
axes. This is a good example of why your first nostrum is
invaluable--practice may not make perfect, but it sure makes one
better than before, and the more practice, the "more better."

I have often found that, when working a new problem, I don't see the
simpler way to do it until after I have spent some time trying it the
hard way. Students need to know that the best way to do a problem is
not always the most obvious way (except to the Feynmans of the
world). But, with experience and practice, they will often find that
starting out with "brute force and ignorance" will often lead them to
the elegant solution.

Hugh
--

Hugh Haskell
<mailto://haskell@ncssm.edu>
<mailto://hhaskell@mindspring.com>

(919) 467-7610

Let's face it. People use a Mac because they want to, Windows because they
have to..
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